You only have to enter “wedding cake ideas” into Pinterest, and you can get lost in a sea of beautiful buttercream.
The best thing about wedding planning using the internet, can also be the worst thing; inspiration overload!
I’ve been there. A prospective bride looking for wedding cake designs only to find so many I was overwhelmed. This was way back in 2015 with far fewer sources of inspiration than you have at your fingertips!
Now, from the other side, as a wedding cake designer of nine years, I understand just how mind-boggling too much inspiration can be.
I sometimes think the internet age has equipped us with all the right terminology, but not depth of information. Sometimes, I’ll get a bride tell me in no uncertain terms that she wants a buttercream wedding cake, only for the inspiration images to be full of fondant cakes. This isn’t a bad thing in itself, but if you feel limited to a certain medium because of trends, I’d say that needs to change!
The hope with this post, is to give a small overview of different types of cakes, so you can better see the direction you might like to go.
I’d like to prefix this by saying that there is no single rule about what creates a stunning wedding cake. Whether you love the sound of fresh flowers, sugar flowers, no flowers, buttercream or fondant, narrowing the scope down is a lot easier than you think!
Unique Wedding Cake Ideas
While it’s true that there’s nothing new under the sun, having a totally unique wedding cake is more than achievable. Firstly, no two cakes are ever the same anyway. Even if you were to ask me to replicate one of my previous designs, it would have slight differences as they are artisan, handmade. But more than that, I take great pleasure in using the little details of your personalities, anecdotes and stories to design a cake that is uniquely yours. The kind of cake that your wedding guests will look at and know it’s a wedding cake that only you could have.
Cakes have come a long way since the days of marzipan, thick white fondant and royal icing. Now, there are a plethora of edible mediums that produce astonishing and impressive effects. If you want a cake that glows. lights up – it can be done. If you would like a cake made to look like it’s dripping in jewels – that can be done, too!
This cake was for a super fun and imaginative couple. Their wedding was full of meaning and symbolism. The theme of the wedding was interplanetary post apocalypse. The couple included several nods to their theme through their invitations, their on the day stationery and so it made sense to incorporate it into their cake, too.
Here, I used stone textured fondant to blend in with the brutalist environs of the Barbican Conservatory. The colour scheme included tones of purple and lilac, and the addition of the foliage was used to signify new life in the post apocalyptic world.
Whilst the couple loved their cake, I don’t expect to be asked to make this cake design again anytime soon. It’s a completely bespoke one off design for the couple.
Perhaps you’re not looking for a stone effect geode cake, but I hope you can see how your uniqueness can affect your cake design.
Floral Wedding Cake Ideas
Most wedding cakes feature flowers in one way or another. Put simply, they are one of the most effective and simple ways to elevate a wedding cake. Even with a plain background, the right set of florals can accentuate and beautify a cake perfectly. Flowers on wedding cakes are as diverse as the petals that shape them. You can adorn your wedding cake with beautifully crafted handmade sugar flowers, my personal favourite. Or, you can dress your wedding cake with stunning fresh blooms. Both of these options can match your wedding decor perfectly. Pressed flowers are another stunning way to make the most of one of nature’s most precious gifts. Wonderfully coloured, pressed flowers instantly transform a wedding cake into one full of character and charm.
Romantic Wedding Cake Ideas
Weddings by nature are full of romance, so it may seem slightly obvious to describe a wedding cake as romantic. With the dawn of architectural, artistic designs, it’s not a given that a wedding cake will be inherently romantic anymore. What constitutes a romantic cake is largely objective and will depend on a few preferences. I’d say romantic wedding cake design will contain at least one of the following; a soft colour palette, movement, and delicate details.
Utter romance is the order of the day here at Sugar & Stories. Most of the designs in the gallery would be described as romantic. Ruffles, stencils, pearls and flowers adorn most of our wedding cakes to strike both the heart and the eyes.
Small Wedding Cake Ideas
Micro weddings have become increasingly popular post COVID. Micro weddings became a necessity, and five years later, they’re as trendy as ever. A wedding with a small guest count brings with it a host of benefits. One of these is that you can offer your guests special experiences, and the wedding cake can be included in that. What would typically be expensive on a five or six tier cake suddenly becomes feasible on a two tier cake. Without a large room to dress, you can really make the most of a small cake that you know all your guests will get to see and enjoy.
Colourful Wedding Cake Ideas
I’m extremely glad to see the recent incorporation of bold pops of colour in 2025 wedding colour palettes. In fact, many of my couples are opting to forgo traditional colour schemes in favour of embracing lots of colour! The fear with colourful wedding cakes is that they’ll look more like novelty cakes, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Tiers in solid colour, bold bright blooms, or floral arches ensure that colourful wedding cakes are just as elegant as their neutral counterparts.
All White Wedding Cake Ideas
White wedding cakes are classic and the most popular choice for wedding cake designs. Far from boring, they are quintessentially “wedding”, and make either a beautiful blank canvas or a stunning centrepiece. There are a myriad of ways for a white wedding cake to shine – texture, embellishments and bas relief to name a few.
Large Wedding Cake Ideas
Two things can be true at once, and for this last idea, I’m going to say that size matters. Large wedding cakes are not only practical for large guest counts, they have enough impact to be their own decorative element. If you need to create a focal point in a grand room, a multi-tiered wedding cake has the potential to do just that. Large wedding cakes are those that are four tiers and up. The standard height of one four tier cakes on a 3 foot high table, would stand at a grand 5ft. If you’re worried about waste, a few faux tiers just for the design makes a wonderful work around.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but a springboard to hopefully help you decide what you may like. In my experience, it is always useful to communicate your hopes and wishes for your cake with a cake designer. During the consultation, I take great measures to collate all your thoughts to come up with a design you will love.
Very little is impossible when it comes to wedding cake design! That’s the beauty of having a bespoke wedding cake. If you’d like to get in touch to discuss some ideas for your special day, please get in touch. I’d love to hear from you.
Until next time,
Jasmine